Full time: Hertha 1 Newcastle 0

Kevin Keegan commented:

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Newcastle suffered a second successive 1-0 defeat in their pre-season preparations, as hopes of a meaningless trophy success nose-dived on the Spanish isle of Mallorca.

Five of the Hertha Berlin starting lineup had been in UEFA Cup action just over 24 hours before facing the Magpies, but in front of a sparse crowd, the Bundesliga side found little to worry them from Kevin Keegan's toothless team.

With strike trio Viduka, Martins and Owen all absent, it was left to Ameobi and Smith to provide an attacking threat, which they singularly failed to do - save for Shola's miscued shot wide of the goal in the opening seconds.

Debutant Jonas Gutierrez returned to his former home of the Son Moix and showed some good touches in the first half, tracking back and working down both flanks.

An early injury to 'keeper Christian Fielder forced Hertha into a substitution, but it was deep into the second half when replacement Jaroslav Drobny saw any action. 

At that point substitute Duff made a run down the right and eluded a series of challenges, but was unable to add to his pre -season goal tally with an 18 yard effort  straight at the 'keeper.

Other than that, we badly lacked a cutting edge and with midfield creativity at a premium and set pieces ragged, a breakthrough never looked likely.

With the tie apparently set for penalties, Hertha broke forward and substitute Maximuliam Nicu beat sub 'keeper Tim Krul with a simple close range header to win it.

Doubtless the usual noises about a good workout in difficult conditions will appear, but aside from the missing players, our lack of a midfield playmaker was evident. 

In the night's other game - played after Newcastle's - Real Mallorca beat Hanover 4-2 in front of an even smaller crowd, most of the Mags having left in search of that all-important fluid replacement.

Biffa